Suicide Prevention Month: Small Solutions for a Big Problem

I didn’t know how to begin talking about the big, uncomfortable topic of suicide. It’s one of those things that feels bigger than all of us, heavier than what words can fully express. The weight of it can make us feel powerless, like only sweeping solutions could possibly make a difference.

And yes, sometimes the answers are big and complex. But I think just as often, it’s the small, human moments - gestures of care, the conversations that go a little deeper, the reminders that someone isn’t alone - that can make a real difference.

Beginning in 1969, psychiatrist and statistician duo Jerome Motto and Alan Bolstrom conducted an experiment in which they selected 843 psychiatric patients at random. For the “contact group,” handwritten letters were regularly sent by the providers who had worked with them. These letters were often short and simple, but let the recipient know that someone was thinking of them, concerned for their well-being, and wished to stay in contact with them.

Two years after hospital discharge (the time frame when those at risk are most likely to die by suicide) the instances of suicide in the contact group were nearly cut in half.

The Centre for Suicide Prevention states that the caring intervention of one person can be enough. 

This might look like intentional connection with someone who seems out of place in the group. It might mean asking about something specific rather than the usual “How are you?” It could be offering a genuine welcome, letting them know you’re glad to see them or that you’re looking forward to being with them. It might take the form of a heartfelt compliment. Or even just a smile.

It may not always look like asking someone directly if they are planning to die by suicide, but I need to point out that it’s ok to ask. It’s a common myth that bringing it up to someone will increase the risk. Often, asking someone directly in a nonjudgmental and nonthreatening way gives them the space to talk about it, and space, validation, and connection are protective factors.

All of this can be so impactful, but to be clear, I don’t think it’s enough.

If you want to know how I really feel about prevention, I think the real solutions lie in correcting systemic failures: lack of healthcare, unaffordable housing, low wages paired with high costs, not enough support for families - the list goes on.

Add in political and economic uncertainty, and social unrest, and it’s no wonder so many of us feel the impact on our mental health. Of course, these systems need to change, but that kind of transformation won’t happen overnight, nor will it be accomplished by one politician, policy, or person.

What we can do today is smile and say, “I’m happy you’re here.”

Motto, Jerome A., and Alan G. Bostrom. "A Randomized Controlled Trial of Postcrisis Suicide Prevention." Psychiatric Services, vol. 52, no. 6, June 2001.

Olson, Robert. "A Caring Conversation: What Suicide Prevention Can Look Like." Centre for Suicide Prevention, 10 Sept. 2018, www.suicideinfo.ca/local_resource/caring-conversation-suicide-prevention/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025